Can it, BP!

Ballast Point to employ new look and packaging material in 2013

Two short years ago, the sight of aluminum cans made craft beer fans point and snicker. Now, thanks to a slow but steady trickle of information being doled out by beer experts and brewing companies, consumers are getting wise that, provided the can lining isn’t the inferior type which leeches metallic nuances into brews, cans are actually just fine for holding beer. In fact, in several ways, they are superior to bottles.

For starters, cans are completely airtight, leaving zero chance for oxidation. Secondly, they keep light out, prohibiting beer from becoming lightstruck. On top of that, they take up less space, are easier to package, are cheaper to ship and simpler to dispose of. So, there are plenty of solid reasons for brewing companies to opt for aluminum over glass.

California and Nevada (specifically, Las Vegas) are the first markets that will receive the new cans. When they do, they will be devoid of the paintings of sea life that consumers are used to seeing on Ballast Point bottles. Instead, the cans will simply feature Ballast Point’s new logo and the name of the beer printed in a ribbon underneath.

But there’s still plenty of room for creativity from Ballast Point artist Paul Elder, who has already worked up new artwork for Sculpin IPA and is working on re-painting the company’s other imagery as they work on a packaging re-fresh. That re-fresh has already been applied to their line of spirits, as pictured below—a new look for a New Year.